The present invention is directed to a flame cutting rollerbed, particularly for use in metallurgical continuous cast strand plants, which flame cutting rollerbeds are useful for cutting metal strands longitudinally and/or transversely. The supporting rollerbed comprises uniformly spaced conveyor elements (often referred to as support rollers) arranged across the direction that the cast strands move. The conveyor elements are each equipped with uniformly spaced disk rollers. The metal strands contact and are supported by the disk rollers as the strands cool. The present invention is also directed to a method for operating a continuous cast metallic strand flame cutting rollerbed.
The flame cutting process for metallic strands is intended to occur on the flame cutting rollerbed of the present invention. This process presupposes the existence of a flame cutting device which is movable along the direction that the cast metallic strands move. In addition, a flame cutter can be provided which is transversely displaceable in the direction that the cast metal strands move. Transversely cutting the metal strands is particularly useful in, for example, cutting steel strands which are moving at steel casting speed.
In the longitudinal cutting of metal strands such as, for example, continuous cast plate slabs, a transversely adjustable flame cutter is necessary only for adjusting the width of the section to be cut off.
In either case, i.e., transverse cutting or longitudinal cutting, the flame cutter moves relative to the metal strand. When cutting transversely, an angular line of movement results from the locus of points corresponding to the leading edges of the metal strands during the flame cutting action relative to the center line of the flame cutting rollerbed.
Whether cutting longitudinally or transversely, the cutting jet of the flame cutter passes over the disk rollers and/or the sections located between the spaced disk rollers. It is quite possible that the rollers get damaged by the high heat flow, by slag spatter, or by similar occurrences.
It has already been proposed (U.S. Pat. No. 3,511,489) to rotate the support rollers away from the cutting site as the torch or flame cutting jet approaches the metallic strand, which solution, however, results in no support being provided to the strand during cutting.
Previously, the suggestion has also been made (DE-B2-24 08 855), in order to minimize the time that the metal strand is without support while the rollers are turned or rolled away, to pivot the support rollers through the flame cutting jet while simultaneously rotating them downwardly and away and then backwardly and up into their original starting position. This solution, however, requires rollers which are basically movable.
According to yet another known suggestion (DE-B2-25 50 161), all of the rollers are located on a roller table, which table is separate from the rollerbed. The table is movable back and forth along the direction of the strands longitudinal axes. One motion of the roller table occurs as the flame cutting jet approaches, and removal of the respective support rollers from the flame cutter jet is caused by the other motion of the table. The motion control machinery necessary for this type of operation is, however, expensive in equipment and maintenance.